Friday, November 21, 2008

The Florine is an amazing river in the lake district of Chile. After being a little burnt out on the Pucon scene, we headed down to the lake district looking to go big, and go on an adventure. We first went to the llancahue, check out EGcreekin's update. Then headed south to the Florine where we were greeted with warm hot springs, and a beautiful but stout creek. We soaked in the hot springs the night before the run with hopes of hucking the stout 55 footer.

The group chillin in the warm hot springs.

We were rewarded. We woke, and hiked up to the goods. I was a little scared, this creek being the stoutest thing i had stepped up to. The first rapid, a sweet 15 footer.

Ian gettin er done.

It dropped a bit, then this rapid loomed out of the stoutness. Ian on the entrance.

And resurfacing after the slot 10.

And Ian killing it yet again.

This rapid is huge, A slot ten footer, leading directly into a 25 footer landing in a tight pool with an undercut wall. Stout.

Evan on the entrance right on line.

And stomping the stout.

Jared went next, having a perfect line. Unfortunately I missed photos of Jared, but of course he killed it Demshitz style. I portaged, a little stout for my taste.

After the first stout, we were greeted with a beautiful 25 ft slide. Me with Eg looking on.

Then the stout. Directly after the 25 ft slide, we were greeted with a 55 ft horizon line. We scouted. Ian fired it up first.

Ian droppin it like its hot from the top.

Jared ran next. killing it Jared style, breaking his paddle, but making it up anyways.

Eg with the paddle toss, a good call since we have already broken 5 paddles, one per person. Killed it. Photo- Jared Seiler

Me running from the top, a long ways to fall.

Me stepping up to the plate, it was a good one!! Photo- Jared SeilerI ended up boofing out a bit, but was lucky enough to be tucked up, so that the hit didnt take a toll on my back. I was fired up.

Me stoked in the pool, a long ways from the lip.

Another sweet photo of Eg killing it.

We then ran into a more gorged out section, where we scouted the portage. It goes but is pretty nasty. As everyone should know, " when ur running the shit, sometimes shit hits the fan." Ian's boat ended up soloing the portage, and i had a scary ferry right above the lip of the portage. We then were stuck, 3 people with boats, and a boat in a gorge. Ian, having his boat in the gorge, jumped 35 feet into the gorge after the portage rapid and was able to recover his boat. We portaged, and hiked back into the gorge and met him below. This incident was a good reminder to take things slow, and be very carefull. It was definetly a good lesson for me, being the stoutest, most committing thing i had run. We then reached a tricky little rapid in the runout of the gorge, Ian ran first and had trouble getting over a shitty little rock in the exit. I ran next, was stuffed into the right wall at the top, flipped, and ended up swimming. I was able to climb on top of my boat, then climb up the wall to the left to escape. Ian was right there with a rope on my boat, and the rest of the crew helped grab my paddle and such. Thanks a buch to Ian, Evan and Jared being there for me. We then exited the gorge, and hiked back to our camp, having learned good lessons to take it slow, and be on our toes at all times. These experiences are necessary when you are running committing class 5.

Ian running the rapid i swam out of.

We then headed south to check out a river we had heard a little about. The Petrohue. We were shut down on out mission to huck the falls there, but saw one of the prettiest places i have been.

The view from our campsite, huge mountains, and beautiful lakes.Another jagged peak in the lake district, what an amazing place.Volcan Asorno, a huge volcano right at the Petrohue.

The Nevados has quickly become my favorite river in Chile, it starts off in a cool gorge with some technical little rapids, then opens up a bit, dropping into a sweet granite slide. It then continues to drop quickly into several different little gorges, with some of the most quality rapids i have ever paddled. Clean 15 footer, two clean 5 footers, clean 20 footer, clean 5ftr, clean 10ftr, It goes on and on. You get the most bang for your buck on this one. Within about a mile and a half, you have probably around 50 amazing rapids, and only 2 that arent very fun.

Evan on the best slide around.

If there was any river i wouldn't get bored of it would be this one, the rapids are so quality, you could run it everyday.

Jared Seiler airing it out on the flake.

We had fun trying to air the craziest lines off the middle flake, i succeeded twice to hit the flake and have some crazy aerial spinning maneuvers.

Jared on of my favorite drops on the run, the perfect 15 footer.

Me running the far left line, a boof to stomp is nice here, to avoid a crunched back.

Graham going for the freewheel, aww yeah.

Eg on the perfect slot 20 footer styling the aerial brown like no other.

Graham Seiler givin er hell on the wonderful 20 footer.After this rapid there are some more perfect 10 footers, then it leads into the most intense part of the run.

Eg on the most stout part of the run, the most fun boof ever.

And Eg boofing a stout little hole with a log blocking the exit, you best be on ur game.

Me on the last rapid of the run, also being one of the most dangerous with high pin potential due to a couple manky rocks.

The rapid just after the takeout, it goes, hopefully soon someone in our group fires that bad boy up.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Just after the middle palguin, we took to the road in Rodrigo's sick van, headed to the Rio Agrio, and hoping to find new waterfalls to the north. Argentina is a beautiful country, With huge mountains and interesting landscape. On this trip, we were not able to find any sweet new waterfalls, and only were able to go kayaking once, on the Rio Agrio. We spent four days in the car, and only went kayaking once. Sometimes, you just dont find what you are looking for. We tried to cross the border back to chile after the agrio, however were shut down. We drove to the argentina border on a dirt road high in the mountains, trying to cross to Chile, finding that the road had been washed out we turned around, and headed back to Pucon shut down on our First D Mission.

Rodrigo's van and our campsite right next to Rio Agrio. The Rio Agrio is a high desert creek that comes out of a sulfur spring high in the mountains. The water is very potent, it stings your eyes, and destroys your nostrils. The waterfalls on this creek are beautiful and it is a very unique place. Although we didnt do much kayaking, we experienced a very different place, and had fun anyways.

Arocaria trees, a very unique tree typical of the area around the Agrio.Jared Seiler gettin er done on the top drop. It turned out to be a bit low to have good lines on this one. Jared hit a few rocks on the way down.

Jared again on a sweet 10 footer below Josh Bechtel's Drop.

Demshitz Graham Seiler stomping the last 20 footer.

Josh Bechtel's Drop, Bechtel you are a little bit insane. ha we had no takers, even with Ian huckfest Garcia

Eg tha killa killin it on the last 20 footer.

Ian Garcia be reppin hard.

Well i guess everyone falls on their face sometimes. This time it was me, too bad i ended up breaking a paddle on this one :-(

A beautiful shot of us crossing back into Chile to lap the Puesco. Volcano La Nin.

Graham Seiler with a sick waterfall in his shades and E G reppin his guns of fury.

So just before our trip to Argentina which will be on the blog soon, Demshitz Graham and Evan were super fired up to go look at middle palguin, a beautiful 70 footer on the Palguin river just outside of Pucon. It was high water, so the entrance to the waterfall was super intense with gnarly boils. Evan ran first having a crazy line in which he did a crazy corkscrew off the 70 footer. he came out unscathed and fired up to go run it again, what a crazy most people just don't lap 70 footers. Graham came next with a sick line gutting it straight down the middle, breaking his paddle and blowing his skirt, but was able to get to shore easily. Evan, after doing some safety for graham ran back up and ran again. His line was much better this time, taking a left stroke at the lip, and Boof to stomping a 70 footer. He pulled his bow down just enough to have a perfect entry angle. Demshitz gettin it done.

The Drop, 'tis a big one.

EG Boof to stomp on a 70 footer.

And bringing his bow down for entry into the hyrup.

Stoked at the bottom.

A zoomed out photo of Graham if you look closely he is all up in that.

I am stoked for the day that i decide to run this beast, what a beautiful waterfall.